Autumn Leaves
by kittykat2892
Summary: Yuugi and his friends have returned home, attempting to fall back into the routine of normalcy. Jounouchi finds himself back in his regular routine of fighting. Seto finds himself warring with emotions directed towards Jounouchi. As the leaves of autumn fall, the first step down a new road is taken. PuppyShipping, SetoJou pairing, Shonen-Ai, One-shot


_Warning: This does have homosexual relations between two characters. I would be much obliged if everyone would be courteous and mature in light of this, and if you dislike such relations, please be respectful and hit the Back button on the top of your screen. _

_A/N: This is a re-boot of an earlier work by the same title. It was completely different from my recent style of writing and quite immature. _

_This contains "Puppyshipping," or SetoJounouchi. I've done my best to keep them more in character than my last attempt. Let me know how I did, please, since I welcome constructive criticism. A friendly warning; I like to use the Japanese names for the characters, yet the only Japanese in the story will be names. I find I like the Japanese better than the American versions._

_I have a friend who visited Japan earlier this year, and I asked her about their school semesters. The way she explained it to me, it's not terribly mistaken what I've written (my silly self didn't ask until I was half-way done with the story), so I'll leave it how it is. If there're any inconsistencies, I apologize._

_Also… has anyone else ever wondered why an 18-year-old (Seto) is in a class with 16-year-olds (Jounouchi/Yuugi/etc etc) at the beginning of the very first episode, especially if he's the CEO of a highly productive corporation?_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh. Kazuki Takahashi is the owner._

_**Autumn Leaves**_

Attending classes was like a fist in the face with how surreal it felt. Yuugi and his friends were traveling so much for the Duel Monsters tournaments, it was a wonder they hadn't failed out of school. They were extremely behind, however, and were required to make up the missed assignments well into their breaks. They were at the school on one such day, a beautiful day in the fall that could be used for more entertaining purposes.

Jounouchi groaned, resting his head in his hands as he stared at the piece of paper on his desk. His teachers expected him to have all the missed lessons made up in a short amount of time that was inhumanly possible… Or at least impossible for him. A discreet glance at the other students in the classroom told him he wasn't the only one having problems (Honda seemed to be having problems, so at least he wasn't alone in his frustration), but Yuugi and Anzu were speeding through the assignment as if it were a cake-walk. His eyes fell on Seto Kaiba, who deemed the "Nerd Herd" beneath him and so was sitting in the front of the classroom beside the teacher's desk. He was scribbling away furiously, as if he couldn't wait to escape the confines of the classroom and the presences inside.

Jounouchi shut his eyes, sighing. He felt the same way about leaving, so there was something the CEO and street kid had in common - possibly the only thing they had in common. Kaiba would disagree the moment those words fell on his ears. He'd never have something in common with a mutt. Jounouchi began marking answers dejectedly, knowing this assignment was a failure and there was no possibility of saving it. He'd be lucky to scrape by with the lowest passing grade. The blonde did the best he could with what general knowledge he had of the subject (of course his problem subject would be math; who doesn't have a problem with math except for geniuses like Seto Kaiba?). With his last (wrong) answer written in black-and-white, he stood and shuffled towards the front of the room to hand in his paper and get the hell out of there.

It so ended up he bumped into Kaiba, who was just getting out of his chair to turn in his own paper. Jounouchi bumped Kaiba into his desk, eliciting a heated glare from the brunette and a not so gentle push backwards so Kaiba would be the first to turn in his work. Jounouchi didn't react or say a word to the treatment, finding it was beyond him to care. He followed a few steps behind, free hand in his jacket pocket. Kaiba returned to his seat to gather his things, a demeaning look in his eyes. Jounouchi simply handed the teacher his work and all but ran from the suddenly stifling room.

Jounouchi knew he should probably wait for his friends, but something about today had him cherishing his solitude. He stuck both hands deep in his pockets and began walking in a random direction away from the school.

The air wasn't so much cold as it was chilly - the perfect temperature between boiling and frigid. The smell of nature was crisp, clear, and cleansing. A simpler way to put it would be it smelled like fall. Jounouchi inhaled deeply, allowing the smell of the earth to flood his nostrils.

It was a peace that wouldn't last. Jounouchi would either run into thugs that still held a grudge against him from who knows when, or if that didn't occur he would be forced to return to his house where he would once again be the object of abuse by his father.

Jounouchi had felt great the length of time they were away from Domino. Sure, there were some life-threatening situations, assholes to take care of, and exploding islands... It was all okay, because he had his friends with him through all those times and they had his back. He'd become a better Duelist and a better man. If the Jounouchi of today was compared with the Jounouchi of yesterday, it was a big difference. He wasn't beating up on weak kids anymore, but had be-friended one to the point of brotherhood.

A smile lit up his face. He had changed, and it was a beautiful thing to realize he was a better person. Jounouchi was happier than he could have hoped for when he first saw Yuugi, thinking he was nothing but a whiny brat.

"Here's that punk-ass kid."

Jounouchi's good spirits dispersed upon hearing the voice behind him. He turned blue eyes to the leader of the thug group; a burly teenager with muscles rippling just beneath his undone school jacket. He was smirking at Jounouchi, leaning against a tree along the path.

"Long time, no see, Jounouchi. We've heard you've made a name for yourself. One of the top dogs of that children's card game, huh? You must be so proud of yourself."

Jounouchi scowled at the thug and his lackies. "Fuck off, idiots. I don't have any beef with you."

The leader rolled his eyes, pushing away from the tree to stand his full height (a little shorter than Jounouchi, but not enough to give him an advantage). He cracked his knuckles, the smirk never leaving his face. He knew it would be no contest between his group of thugs and one lone guy, even if that guy did pack a punch.

Jounouchi raised his fists, slipping one leg back so he could move however the situation called for. This would be an interesting return to normal life. To see how many bruises he could acquire, see if he could continue hiding the abuse from the people who cared.

The leader casually strode towards him, not raising his fist until the last second, feinting for his jaw and ending up in his stomach, knocking the air from his lungs.

~x~x~x~x~x~

Seto Kaiba decided he would walk home today. He hadn't been given the opportunity of having a peaceful moment to himself since the ordeal with Pegasus began. He was always scheming ways to rip the title 'King of Games' from Yuugi, then having to deal with idiots who were determined to stroll right into hell.

It was a time of relaxation he well-deserved. Kaiba Corporation was running smoothly and efficiently, seeing as how either Mokuba or himself was taking care of things via satellite when they were away. When they were otherwise pre-occupied (like on that damned island of Noah's), his workers back in Domino were to refer to specific instructions left for such an absence of the Kaiba brothers.

Seto glanced around surreptitiously. Domino hadn't changed a bit since he'd been gone. It was still the annoying town he was forced to settle in, though he sure as hell made it his town.

Residents knew not to approach him; he'd probably end up glaring them down the block. Seto Kaiba was simply a presence to the common-folk... Or so he'd like to believe he still felt that way. He'd never outwardly admit it, but thanks to those dweebs he'd been forced to be around, he'd been thinking somewhat human thoughts towards people not of his immediate family.

As a consequence, he had taken to keeping tabs on the dweebs, unbeknownst to them. Hell would freeze over before Seto Kaiba admitted he was attempting to be a good guy. Then again, hell would freeze over before he admitted he had feelings towards anyone other than Mokuba, and that was his problem. It irked him to no end how over the months he had been around Yuugi and his friends, he learned to tolerate their presence, even going so far as enjoying it. The first time Seto realized what he'd thought, it was all he could do not to curse at them and be on his merry, lonely way.

It was the puppy that kept him around. The blue eyes that burned with determination every time they set on the brunette, the abrasive voice that shouted out challenges on their every meeting... At first, Seto had nothing but contempt for the mutt, categorizing him as a mutt and doing his best to ignore him. Jounouchi's courage and stubborn will rubbed off on Kaiba the time they had been forced in each other's company; Seto convinced himself the feelings towards the blonde would gradually disappear as life resumed normalcy.

They had arrived back in time for the beginning of the late semester. It had been a few months since, yet the emotions had not decreased, but increased to the point Seto was close to cruel when he and the puppy interacted. His words were scathing and looked as if they cut deeply at times. Seto was introduced to the new feeling of 'guilt' after a few such encounters. It simply made the CEO angrier, and as a result, harsher.

A few of the people who passed by him stopped to stare, yet he passed them by with nary a look. They were below his notice. What wasn't below his notice was the racket coming from the other side of a building he was passing. Seto wrinkled his nose in disgust. It sounded as if someone was fighting. The brunette quickened his gait, thinking of the work (both school and corporation work) waiting for him when he arrived home.

The all too familiar yell of anger from the direction of the fight stopped Kaiba in his tracks. He rolled his eyes, turning and approaching the ruckus. It would be just like the mutt to get into a fight so soon upon their arrival home. Seto turned the corner of the building, his eyes taking in the details. His sudden appearance startled the fighters, and his quick reaction of karate-chopping the nearest thug on the back of his neck was met with dumb stares.

"It seems you have an unfair advantage." He drawled, crossing his arms as he stared down the leader.

"Kaiba, get the fuck out of here! I don't need your help!" Jounouchi was truly angry. Was it because he needed help, or because he didn't want anyone to see him in this kind of situation? Seto glared at the blonde.

"Be a good mutt, shut your mouth, and accept my help."

Jounouchi's look was one that could kill as he opened his mouth to voice a retort. The thug leader didn't allow for anymore conversation, hitting Jounouchi with a cheap punch to the side of his head.

Seto moved before he realized he was going to, ramming his shoulder into the thug's chest as would a football player. The vacant look Jounouchi had acquired as the hit connected worried him. He was still on his feet, but his movements were sluggish. He was unable to protect himself efficiently.

The CEO growled in annoyance at being forced to fight for both of them, and even more upset at the fact he deemed it important to become involved. At least he had a good outlet for his anger, his fist finding purchase in one of the attacker's noses. Cartilage crunched, giving way under the pressure, and blood spurt through his nostrils. He yelped, back-tracking quickly with his hands over his broken nose trying to stop the bleeding.

A second attack almost broke a second thug's arm. They were wary now, looking from Seto to their leader. They wanted no more part in this fight, but there leader was too furious to admit defeat.

"What're you idiots doing?! There's only two of them, you shouldn't be having problems beating the shit out of them."

"Uhhh, boss? You realize who that second guy is, right?" The one with the broken nose spoke nasally, pain lacing his words. The thug leader glared at him as if to say he were stupid for asking such a question. The lackey ignored the look, continuing with his train of thought. "That's Seto Kaiba!"

The leader jerked as if he was electrocuted, blood rushing from his face as he stared at the smug CEO. "What's Seto Kaiba doing getting into a scrap like this?" The leader was far from happy. If the fight continued, it was liable Kaiba would report them to the authorities, or initiate his own form of punishment. It was obvious Jounouchi meant something to Seto if he was stepping into the blonde's fights.

The thug scoffed, resting his hands behind his head. "This isn't worth our time. Let's get out of here."

Kaiba smirked. Lower than his mutt, these mongrels were running with their tails between their legs in the face of an alpha such as himself. His smirk didn't resonate well with the thug whose arm was almost broken. Before Seto could react, a solid punch connected with his chest. The pain knocked the wind from his lungs, allowing the thugs to escape in the time this afforded them.

The brunette held his hand over the area he was hit, forcing his lungs to inhale. He turned to Jounouchi, worried for his well-being. The knock to the head the mutt had taken could be serious. The blonde was watching Seto curiously, almost as worried looking as Kaiba felt. The look of worry was quickly replaced by anger.

"Why the hell did you get involved, Kaiba? I was handling them on my own."

Seto snorted derisively, a small wince flashing across his features at the shock of pain this sent through his chest. "You were getting your ass handed to you, mutt. Be grateful I stopped to dirty my hands for you."

Jounouchi's gaze softened into one of confusion. "Why _did_ you stop?"

Seto grit his teeth, averting his gaze. "I simply felt the urge to rub in your face how much better I am than you are at one of your other favorite past-times."

Jounouchi grew silent. After a few moments of an awkward pause, laughter bubbled forth from Jounouchi's throat. The chuckling soon turned to outright laughter, which infuriated Kaiba as he believed he was being made the butt of a joke.

"See if I stop to save your life again, mutt." He snapped, turning so quickly his coat snapped behind him. He fumed both at himself and Jounouchi. If not for Jounouchi, he wouldn't be feeling any of these emotions.

A strong grip on his shoulder brought him to a halt. Seto waited, seeing what Jounouchi would have to say to him.

"You've been crueler to me lately than you were when we first met. I'd been wondering what I'd done to deserve harsh treatment. Sure, I may be annoying and stubborn, but are those qualities really a reason to hate me as much as you do? Then I began thinking you may be... You may be having a hard time with feelings you've never experienced. Hell, I've been having a hard enough time without idiots like those thugs getting into the mix..."

Seto listened cautiously. Jounouchi was aware something was wrong with the other teenager, though if he had come to the correct conclusion was only speculation. Seto would neither ask Jounouchi nor tell if he didn't know.

"I guess I'm... I'm just trying to say thank you." Jounouchi was embarrassed. Kaiba heard it in his shaking voice. He turned, crossing his arms as best he could given the cheap wound he'd received on the puppy's behalf.

"How's your head?"

Jounouchi appeared taken aback by the random occurrence of care Seto was showing him.

"Well, it hurts, but at least the world's not spinning anymore. I have a headache from hell, though."

Seto sighed. "You're not going to visit the hospital even if I tell you to, will you?"

Jounouchi's eyes became daggers at the suggestion. Seto nodded, expecting an answer of the sort.

"Then you will simply have to accompany me to my home, where I will call my personal doctor to look you over. Head trauma is nothing to play around with."

Jounouchi's jaw would literally have been on the ground if it were humanly possible. "Seto Kaiba... Is being humane to another person outside of his family? Where's this coming from?"

Seto's cheeks flushed (in anger, he would swear). "Shut up and follow me, puppy."

Jounouchi did so, watching Kaiba's back with a thoughtful look upon his face. Strolling down the street with the red, yellow and brown leaves of autumn falling around them, Jounouchi realized perhaps Seto Kaiba was not as heartless as he wished to be known. He smiled. It would be an interesting adventure, to become acquainted with the real Seto Kaiba, and one he felt he would enjoy.

_-kittykat2892_


End file.
